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Monday, April 23, 2018

A Holy Passion is here! :-) For years, my sister talked about writing and researching a novel based on the lives of the missionary David Brainerd and of his relationship with Jonathan Edward's daughter, Jerusha. She began work on it a few years ago and it culminated on the 300th birthday of Brainerd--Truly, this precious, beautiful novel is the result of years of careful research and preparation. My sister, author Alicia G. Ruggieri has put her heart and soul into this work and the result has been this beautiful re-telling of the stories of missionary David Brainerd and of famed theologian Jonathan Edward's daughter, Jerusha--from David's time at Yale, to his missionary endeavors, to the years of his declining health, and finally of his death in the Edward's home and of the love that he and Jerusha shared both for one another and for their Lord. Alicia's research is exquisite; I love her careful attention to the details of that particular time period, from how a colonial home was run to the manner of speech and dress and the customs of those days. Her focus on every little detail is apparent, and it just makes the book historically delightful. Her artistry in capturing the romantic relationship between David and Jerusha is both revitalizing and heart rending. This book weaves such a tale of bittersweet love that it leaves the reader inwardly hushed and affected. There were several times in reading her novel that I just sat with the book before me and knew the Holy Spirit whispering some deep lesson of surrender to my heart through the example of David Brainerd. Alicia's depiction of his character and devotion to the Lord Jesus in every area of his life challenged me and comforted me at the same time. I realized afresh that the God of David Brainerd is the same God of this time and that great and mighty things can be done through His people when they are fully surrendered to Him in mind, body, and heart. I loved her depiction of the character and historical figure of Jerusha, Jonathan Edward's daughter. Her strong, sweet character that yearns after the Savior challenged me; her inward struggles proved that she was human, and yet finally rested in the Lord with her life and with the life of the man she loved. The portrayal of missionary David Brainerd and his utter devotion toward our Savior riveted me. His life is a challenge to every one of us as believers in asking the question that Alicia asks on the back cover of her book, "What would you give up for Christ?" David gave everything. This book is one that every believer seeking a deeper, richer relationship with Jesus Christ would benefit from; it challenged me and encouraged me in my devotion to the Lord while at the same time engaged me with its intricate suspenseful story-line and of the romance between David and Jerusha that is woven into the book's rich tapestry. A Holy Passion is available on Amazon on Kindle as well as in paperback. The links are provided below after the description of Alicia's novel to her website and where you may find Alicia on social media to learn more about her and her work.

Description from the back of the book:“My heart begins its slow crescendo at the news. Mr. Brainerd – my Mr. Brainerd – has come at last.”

After a few scant years of solitary missionary work among the American Indians on the colonial frontier, David Brainerd has been forced off the field once more by his terminal illness. A man who has sacrificed every earthly comfort for the sake of Christ, he takes refuge in the home of Reverend Jonathan Edwards, eminent Great Awakening theologian and pastor… and the father of a young woman named Jerusha.

Unbeknownst to David, Jerusha Edwards has nurtured an affection for him since she met him long ago. Their renewed acquaintanceship challenges Jerusha to understand the meaning of selfless, Calvary love. Yet does such love demand too great a sacrifice for her to make?

Told with an emphasis on the known facts of Jerusha and David’s relationship as well as his missionary undertakings, this novel carefully embellishes the historical record, weaving a bittersweet tale of romantic, holy devotion.

Alicia G. Ruggieri writes grace-filled, Christ-centered fiction from her home in rural Wisconsin. She loves ancient graveyards, old libraries, and excellent cannolis ~ not necessarily in that order.
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Sunday, April 15, 2018

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18-20 NKJV

One of the things that the Lord has impressed upon my heart with my children is including hymns into their daily life. Since they were babies, I sought to incorporate hymns into our daily routine and to instill in them an appreciation for the old beloved hymns of the faith. I love hymns. I grew up in churches where hymns were sung with power and joy and conviction, not woodenly and lifelessly. I love the theology contained in them, the joy expressed within their beautiful metered stanzas, and the deep rich heritage that they hold for us in the faith. I love the stories behind them, the lessons held and buried deep and true in their author's lives and in the Lord's dealings with them. There is a vast treasure-house of beauty found in reading about the lives of the hymnwriters--George Matheson, Fanny Crosby, John Robinson, Charles Wesley, Issac Watts and the list literally goes on and on. I want to pass that joy onto my children. Am I recommending only hymns, exclusively hymns, nothing else? Absolutely not! :-) I appreciate and enjoy praise choruses and songs steeped in the Scripture; I love the Psalms sung out as songs in modern language. I think that these can also be useful and beneficial in our lives, in our children's lives, and in the life of the church. But hymns, sung from the physical hymnal or from memory can enrich our lives and our children's lives greatly, and I believe can strongly enrich the church in terms of the deep theology that they hold for every generation. So how do I incorporate hymns into our daily lives?

We attend a church that sings hymns. This is very important to me. It was a blessing for me to find a church in the Midwest that sings exclusively from the physical hymnal. I want that experience to be a strong part of our children's lives. We sing hymns at home. We have collected a number of hymnals and sing from them regularly. We sing a hymn in the morning together when we have our daily devotional time and we sing a hymn at night together after supper after a brief time of Bible reading. We sing hymns at night before bed. I rock my children and sing them hymns or very softly play a CD of hymns as they fall asleep (or do both). In this way, hymns are included into our daily life.

We listen to hymns on CD--in the house, in the car, wherever! We love hymns! :-) I believe, and this is my personal conviction--take it or leave it--that young children are better off listening to slower-paced music that is simple and edifying and fun, rather than the fast-paced "fluff" that is usually offered to them. Hymns fit this principle wonderfully. Some examples of what I mean by this are below in the CD's that I recommend--Sometimes hymns are thought of as dreary and droll and boring--but the very opposite is true! It is so much fun to gather together with other believers and sing the great hymns of the faith with a tambourine, a guitar, a piano, or other instruments! It creates and builds a deep bond of fellowship. It strengthens us as believers spiritually and encourages unity and togetherness through our Lord and Savior. It encourages and edifies our children through the powerful reinforcement of the principles in God's Word through the songs of His people.

So sing hymns! :-) Include them in your daily life with your children, in your family, as part of your home life. I promise you that it will be a blessing. Suggestions and Resources that have blessed us greatly as a family (these are clickable affiliate links to Amazon): Hymns For a Kid's Heart Volume One (Book and CD)

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Ruby Mae is a young Christian Fiction author who seeks to glorify Christ in her writing and to spread the Gospel through the medium of Christian fiction. I "met" Ruby Mae on social media a while ago and felt led to ask her to do an interview on my blog. I pray that you will be blessed by her work and testimony!

Welcome, Ruby Mae! I’m so thrilled to have you here as a guest on my blog and I pray that many will be encouraged through your words and learning more about your writing.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm just a small-town girl with a love for God and my family. I'm 25 years old. I received the Ultimate Treasure (God's gift of Salvation) when I was eighteen years old. Since then, I've been called into different ministries, including: Teaching young adults about the importance of purity, singing and writing songs, and writing novels. I live in a small, historic town in Georgia with my family, 2 dogs, 5 Zebus (miniature cattle), and many chickens (the farm's still growing!). Besides writing, I enjoy reading, singing, spending time outdoors, and arts &crafts.

What motivated you to become a Christian fiction writer?

My Lord and Savior, Yeshua (Jesus)! All my motivation and inspiration comes from Him. Everything else is branches off of Him. If I didn't have God, I wouldn't be a writer—actually, I wouldn't be anything. It's God's Holy Spirit who gives me each story I write. I'm merely the pen in God's hand.

What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?

My biggest hope is for my novels to bring others to the saving knowledge of Christ and to strengthen the faith of those who are already saved. All other accomplishments are extra blessings.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

*Whistles lowly* That's a long list. Ha ha! I'm currently working on 20 novels. 10 are part of my first series, Faith in the Valley, 2 are part of my second series, Echoes of Faith, 2 are part of my third series, Ephesians Guardians Inc., and 6 are stand alone. The titles are: Protective Secrets, Unseen Dangers, Hidden in the Ashes, Ring of Suspicion, A Lassoed Mistake, Barrel of Threats, A Kindred Frame, Obscured Faith, A Turn for the Worse, A Recipe to Die For, Rodeo Storm, The Deadly Love Letter, The Witnesses' Protectors, Assumed Dead, The Samaritan's Bride, A Love Worth Waiting For, Second Chance Deputy, Dad by Choice, An Abduction Reunion, and A Christian County Escapade.

My main focus at the moment is Protective Secrets. It's book three of my Faith in the Valley series and the set goal is for it to release this spring. It's about the youngest Sawyer sibling, Hannah, who works with Search and Rescue, along with her canine partner, Ace. Hannah is the heroine of the story and is infertile; but she's thrust into motherhood at the beginning of the story—which also puts her in danger. The hero is her supervisor, Chance Timmons, a man who was abandoned by his parents at a young age and is struggling to forgive.

Is there a certain time period that particularly interests you in your writing?

I mostly write in the modern time period. Simply because it touches on topics affecting the world/people today. But one of my novels is based in the Civil War era and I'm loving it! I've always loved stories and movies based back in the good old days(especially when they involve cowboys and strong pioneer women). I'm fairly certain I'll be writing many more novels in the cowboy/Civil War/Revolutionary War era in the near future!

How have you seen the Lord work through your writing to encourage others to pursue Him?

That's a tough one since a lot of my readers I never get to meet(or see again after selling them a book). The simplest answer would be by reader reviews. Many of my readers comment on how they connect with my characters and how my characters encourage them to strengthen their own faith. One reader told me that while reading Seeking Refuge(Faith in the Valley: Book 2) they felt like they were doing their devotionals as well. Said it was very uplifting and inspiring. Another reader told me after reading Seeking Refuge that she read another novel that was very similar by another author who has wrote many more novels than I have. She said she enjoyed mine much more. Her explanation of why was that mine had far more evidence of God in it, which made it a more inspiring read. I love compliments that goes back to God! My readers love the evidence of faith in my stories and I love that!

But it isn't just my reader who gets encouraged through my writing through the Spirit of God. I'm always in the front row when the lesson is being given. The whole time I'm writing a story I can hear God speaking to me, telling me what to write. But it's more than that. He's teaching me something important. In Hidden Treasures(Faith in the Valley: Book 1) God was teaching me the importance of staying in His presence and returning promptly every time I stray, and also teaching me about God's gift of memories. In Seeking Refuge I was being taught the power of choice when it comes to faith. How we are to choose to have faith in God. It all comes down to choice. In Protective Secrets the lesson continues; God is teaching me to trust Him no matter what—even when I can't see the whole picture.

And just some fun questions: 😊

Coffee or tea?

Definitely COFFEE!!! With lots of cream and no sugar. Mmm... Mmm... I can't stand the taste of any tea.

Where in the world would you most like to visit?

Most definitely Israel. I have a deep love for God's first born son and His people who live there. I would love to visit and walk where Yeshua walked and pray in the garden where He did.

How many siblings do you have?

I have 7 younger siblings and also 2 younger siblings who are with the Lord.

Favorite hobbies, pastimes?

I have many hobbies I enjoy and things I do to pass the time. Reading, painting, drawing, singing, yodeling, photography, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and doing crafts to name a few.

Favorite dessert

I've always been a big fan of strawberries. So basically anything strawberry. But my favorite would have to be white chocolate-covered strawberries! Mmm...

Favorite book of the Bible

I have three, Psalms, Acts, and James

Favorite Bible verse

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

—Luke 12:34/Matthew 6:21

This verse is very special to me. As I wrote in my debut novel, Hidden Treasures; that verse tells us that whatever treasure we seek, with the most time and energy, is where our heart lies. It serves as a reminder to ask myself now and then, “What treasure am I seeking? Knowing God and His will? Or worldly goods that won’t last?” It helps us to continuously seek the most valuable treasure we can possess, a close relationship with God Himself and serving Him by following His will for our lives.

A little known fact about yourself

Not many people know that Ruby Mae O'Dell is my pseudonym(pen name) or even how I came up with it. My pseudonym is a dedication to my granny and nana, both of whom I was very close to and are now with the Lord. Ruby Mae was my granny's first and second name and O'Dell is my Nana's maiden name. nana also used to call my “Little Ruby”.

RUBY MAE O'Dell is a young, Christian author, living in a small, historic town in the state of Georgia with her parents and 7 younger siblings. She enjoys using her gift of writing to bring glory and honor to Yeshua, her Savior. Two of her novels have been published and she has 12 more in the making. Ruby Mae also enjoys writing songs and poetry, drawing and painting, crafting, roping(still practicing, ha, ha.), singing and yodeling, playing her bongos, and of course, curling up with a good book. Ruby Mae is also vowed to purity as she waits for the man God created especially for her (Biography taken from her website, Truly Inspired Books).

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